On December 11, Vladimir Putin visited the Hmeymim air base and ordered the Russian Defense Ministry to begin the withdrawal of troops from Syria

MOSCOW, December 13. /TASS/. The Tupolev Tu-22M3 bombers, which participated in the operation against terrorists in Syria, have returned from North Ossetia to their home base Belaya, located in the Irkutsk Region, the Russian Defense Ministry’s press service said in a statement.

"After successfully completing tasks of targeting terrorist facilities in Syria, crew members of the Tu-22M3 long-range bombers have completed the process of returning the aircraft from the operational airfield in North Ossetia to their home base in the Irkutsk Region," the statement reads.

According to the Defense Ministry, during the flight, the aircraft made a stopover at an airfield in the Samara Region for refueling.

The ceremony of meeting the crew members involved their family members, commanders of the Aerospace Force and representatives of veterans’ organizations.

On December 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Hmeymim air base in Syria and ordered the Russian Defense Ministry to begin the withdrawal of troops from the country.